Jubilation and Reflection on Stage as Cannes Winners Accept Prizes — A Report On Closing Night

Jubilation and Reflection on Stage as Cannes Winners Accept Prizes -- A Report On Closing Night

Jubilation and Reflection on Stage as Cannes Winners Accept Prizes — A Report On Closing Night

by Eugene Hernandez and Anthony Kaufman

The 1998 Festival International du Film, the Cannes Film Festival, endedon Sunday with the presentation of the coveted Palme d’Or and other JuryAwards. Jury President Martin Scorsese announced the winners at aformal black-tie ceremony that was hosted by French actress IsabelleHuppert.

Theo Angelopoulos whose Greek competition entry, “Mia Eoniotita Ke MiaMera” (Eternity and a Day) screened Saturday and was awarded the Palmed’Or the following night, proving once again that screening on the finalday of the festival is no handicap. (Last year’s Palme “Taste ofCherry” had a similar final day time slot.) Accepting the prize fromactors Gong Li and Jean Reno, a subdued Angelopoulos said, “My God Idon’t know what to say. . . I am very touched and I thank all of you.Last night during the screening, I lived an unforgettable moment, and Ithank you.” “Eternity and a Day” is a poetic, languishing journey of aGreek man who helps a young Albanian boy immigrate across the border.In 1995, Angelopoulos felt snubbed by the Cannes jury when EmirKusterica’s “Underground” beat him out for the Palme in 1995. After thesecond place Grand Jury Prize for his “Ulysses’ Gaze“, the famed Greekdirector has now, it seems, graduated to the top spot. Whether U.S.audiences will ever get to see the Palme d’Or winning film remains justas unsure as the fate of those ’95 winners which took nearly a year tofinally find stateside exhibition.

Angelopoulos’s calm acceptance was in stark contrast to the scene thatplayed out just a few minutes earlier, when Palme d’Or front-runnerRobert Benigni took the stage to accept the festival’s Grand Jury Prize,for his Italian film “La Vita e Bella” (Life Is Beautiful) about an ItalianJew who experiences the fascist era with both whimsy and tragedy.Upon hearing his name, Benigni leapt from his seat and swiftly ascendedthe stage steps, hugging Huppert and lifting her off of her feet as hespun her around. With the audience cheering, the popular comedicactor dropped to his knees and hugged Scorsese’s feet. Jumping back up,he embraced the visibly emotional American director, lifting him offof his feet. With the audience now standing and still cheering, Benignicrossed the stage to hug and kiss the jurors. As he made his way backto the center stage podium, Benigni waved proudly to the crowd, hisarms above his head. As the extended ovation quieted, the filmmakerexplained, “My heart is bursting. . . I dedicate this award to those whoare not here, who helped us understand what is love and liberty and life,and I thank those who are here who helped me make the film.” “La Vitae Bella” will be released by Miramax in the U.S. and is already beingtouted by some to be a likely candidate for next year’s Oscars, and notjust in the Foreign Language Film category.

In another memorable moment, the festival’s Award for Best Director wentto John Boorman for his comeback film, “The General,” which documentsthe rise and fall of Irish hero-criminal, Martin Cahill. “I’ve had thisbefore — twenty-eight years ago, I got the same prize, I am verygrateful for it,” Boorman explained alluding to his 1970 Cannes win for“Leo the Last.” He continued, “It was about that time, twenty eightyears ago, that I went to live in Ireland where I’ve lived ever since,and this week the Irish nation voted for peace — we should dedicatethis to the Irish people.”

Also visibly thrilled at his win, was the young Danish filmmaker ThomasVinterberg, director of “Festen” (“Celebration“). Beaming as he humblyand excitedly accepted his Jury Prize along with French filmmaker ClaudeMiller who won for “La Classe de neige,” Vinterberg happily waved hisCannes “diploma” prize above his head and smiled broadly. “Festen” was thefirst film in official selection to be plucked for U.S. distribution;October Films has the honor. A certified Dogma ’95 production, alongwith fellow Dane, Lars Von Trier’s “The Idiots,” “Festen” reveals ahandheld and unnerving, dysfunctional family reunion celebrating asexually abusive father’s birthday, a theme recurrent in this year’sfestival from the perverse patriarch in Todd Solondz’s sexually twisted“Happiness,” to Francois Ozon’s much touted, S & M family “Sitcom” toHal Hartley’s broken home and lascivious protagonist “Henry Fool” toTamara Jenkins’ loser father in “Slums of Beverly Hills.”

Top acting awards were presented to Peter Mullan for his work in “MyName is Joe” as an unemployed, former alcoholic who falls in love,directed by the U.K.’s Ken Loach. “I’m a very happy man,” thekilt-wearing Mullan proclaimed on stage, “Martin Scorsese has just saidmy name — should the next time he say my name and then ‘Action!’, I’ll bean even happier man!” As the crowd roared with laughter, Mullancontinued, “As I am sure any actor will tell you, the best award thatyou can get is the part and I got the part of ‘Joe’ and I worked withKen Loach, one of the world’s greatest directors — half of this is KenLoach’s.” Stratosphere Entertainment is rumored to be negotiatingdomestic distribution for Ken Loach’s latest, but any future trip for“Joe” to the U.S. is uncertain. Actresses Elodie Bouchez and NatachaPegnier received a dual acting prize for their work in “La Vie Revee desAnges” (“The Dream Life of Angels“), directed by first-time helmer ErickZonca from France, which was picked up by Sony Pictures Classics duringthe festival.

American filmmaker Hal Hartley won the Screenwriting Award for “HenryFool” which portrays Simon Grim (James Urbaniak) as a garbageman whofinds literary fame when the title character of “Fool” inspires him towrite. A self-described epic, “Henry Fool”‘s over two-hour lengthapparently moved the jury with its intricate and emotional story. “It’sreally exciting,” Hartley declared modestly during his brief on-stageacceptance speech, “I’d like to thank the jury, the festival, and my castfor making my script come to life.”

Two other American filmmakers were singled out on closing night. ToddHaynes’ “Velvet Goldmine” was given a special jury prize honoring BestArtistic Contribution for his fluidly moving and psychedelic homage toglam rock, while documentary filmmaker Marc Levin took the stage toaccept the festival’s cherished Camera d’Or, which singles out afirst-film. Levin’s dramatic work “Slam,” which screened out ofcompetition at Cannes in the Director’s Fortnight sidebar, also wonGrand Jury Prize at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. “I am sorry I don’tspeak French,” Levin stated, “But I would like to thank specially theFrench film audience — you love movies so much and you taught ussomething, which is that there is a poet in every soul struggling to befree — thank you for opening a door to the world for us.”

The Festival’s Grand Prize for Technical achievement was awarded toacclaimed Cinematographer Vittorio Storaro for his work on CarlosSaura’s “Tango“. Storaro, who also worked with Saura on his recent film“Flamenco“, told the audience, “This is a historic moment for cinema,‘Tango’ is the first film to be realized with a new visual system whichallows the same compostion of the image for both cinema and futuretelevision — this is to respect all the theaters and spectators in theworld.”

Meanwhile, the Cinefoundation Jury presided over by Jean-Pierre Jeunet(“Delicatessan“) awarded the Palme d’Or for a Short film to Frenchfilmmaker Xavier Giannoli’s “L’Interview” (The Interview). Acceptinghis prize, Giannoli said, “This is enormous — I am so incredibly proudand I thank the jury.” The jury also singled out two short films fromthe United Kingdom, by bestowing a special Jury prize to David Lodge’s“Horseshoe” and Lynne Ramsay’s “Gasman.” No American short films werescreened in competition at the 1998 Festival.